From Washington University Athletics
Washington University in St. Louis sits in first place in the final Division III Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings, as announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Thursday.
WashU has accumulated 337.50 points, and has a 22.5-point lead over second-place Calvin College (315) and Williams College (315). Massachusetts Institute of Technology (268) and Amherst College (267.50) round out the top five.
WashU had five top-20 finishes in the fall, highlighted by an NCAA Runner-Up finish by women’s soccer and a fifth-place finish from women’s cross country. Volleyball (ninth), men’s cross country (16th) and men’s soccer (17th) also had top-20 finishes.
The University Athletic Association (UAA) has two teams in the top 10 and six in the top-40: WashU (first), University of Chicago (ninth), Emory University (25th), Carnegie Mellon University (29th), University of Rochester (36th) and Brandeis University (38th).
WashU has finished in the top-five in the Learfield Directors’ Cup nine straight years – 2014-15 (fourth), 2013-14 (fourth), 2012-13 (five), 2011-12 (second), 2010-11 (third), 2009-10 (third), 2008-09 (fourth), 2007-08 (second), 2006-07 (fifth).
The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between NACDA and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 14 sports in Division II – seven men’s and seven women’s; and 18 sports in Division III-- nine women’s and nine men’s.
The first set of winter standings will be released mid-March.